After rough UFC start, Philippou ready to deliver a few beatings – and Leben on hitlist

After all, the Serra-Longo Fight Team product was eliminated from “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ before even making it into the house, and he dropped a unanimous decision to Nick Catone in his official octagon debut.

But after his UFC on FX 2 upset of Court McGee, Philippou is now riding a three-fight win streak – a run he thinks is far more indicative of his true skills. In short, Philippou thinks his days of taking whoopings are over. Instead, it’s time to deliver a few of his own.

“As far as my first UFC fight, I took it on five-days’ notice,” Philippou told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.comadio). “People don’t understand that. I was out of shape. After we fight, we usually take a few weeks off, heal from injuries, just relax, eat and enjoy your life – it’s not just about fighting. That was one of the times that I took off from the gym entirely for like three weeks. Then I got the call.

“When you do get the call from the UFC, you can’t turn them down. It was go, take my beating and prepare. That’s the way it is. That’s how I saw it. My goal was to just not get finished – not get knocked out or submitted. I knew that the chances were that I would probably lose that fight. I took my beating like a man, I went back to the gym, got in better shape, and I’m trying to prove myself to people that I was out of shape, and I’m a better fighter. I think people see that now.”

If fans weren’t impressed before Philippou’s impressive win over “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ winner Court McGee, they probably are now. Philippou was sharp throughout the 15-minute contest, outstriking a gritty McGee on the fight while avoiding his opponent’s attempts to bring the fight to the floor.

“It was a classic fight between a wrestler and a striker, but the only difference is they didn’t know that I have wrestling, too,” Philippou said. “Boxing and general striking works in MMA as long as you have the wrestling ability to defend the takedown. Nobody thought I was going to make it through the first or the second round, even. Everybody thought I was going to get either knocked out or choked out. I guess I surprised a lot of people.”

Unfortunately for him, Philippou’s impressive win was quickly overshadowed by a controversial flyweight tournament bout and an impressive come-from-behind Martin Kampmann win in the evening’s main event. But it was no less impressive for Philippou, who entered the fight as the underdog.

“[McGee] is a tough fighter,” Philippou said. “I give him props. He kept coming. He can definitely take a punch. I know I had him a few times, but he’s a dangerous opponent.

“I couldn’t get too close because I was worried about getting taken down. I know that’s his game, the ground game, so I was trying to avoid that – not that I don’t have a jiu-jitsu ability even submit Court McGee, but I knew I had the advantage on my feet, so why take a chance? I decided to keep the fight standing and show him how it’s done, striking-wise.”

Philippou’s current win streak also includes wins over Jared Hamman and Jorge Rivera, and he may be in line for a high-profile name in his next octagon matchup. While his dream opponent is currently serving a UFC-mandated suspension, his request gives certain insight into his mindset.

“I would like to fight Chris Leben,” Philippou said. “I don’t know why, but I think it would be a good fight. I think he’s a great fighter, and he chooses to strike although he has the wrestling ability. He chooses to strike, and I think it would make a great fight.

“We’re both going to get in and strike and put on a good show. I think that’s the guy with the greatest chin, and I would like to test it. I think he’s a great fighter, and it would be an honor to fight Chris Leben.”

Leben is on the shelf until November, so Philippou will likely fight at least once more before “The Crippler” would be ready to return. So Philippou will simply wait for his phone to ring, and he promises to accept whoever UFC matchmaker Joe Silva suggests.

“I’m not asking for any opponent,” Philippou said. “I’m still at the beginning of my career. Joe Silva is doing a great job with every fighter, with every matchup. I’m sure they’re going to throw an opponent at me, and whoever it is, it is what it is.

“At this point, there’s no easy opponents in the UFC. They only keep the winners. You lose one or two fights, they release you. There’s no easy fight anymore. Any opponent, even if he’s not as well known, it will be a tough opponent. To get in the UFC, you’ve got to be a great fighter – not just a good fighter, you’ve got be a great fighter.”

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